Musical amusement device



y 1950 s. v. LIPPMAN 2,508,830

MUSICAL AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed July 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I! veutor 54 111162 yflzjv wzmzz y @6201. M M 1? y 1950 s. v. LIPPMAN MUSICAL AMUSEMENT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1946 Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUSICAL AMUSEMENT DEVICE Samuel V. Lippman, Hartford, Conn.

Application July 25, 1946, Serial No. 686,051

6 Claims. (01. 46-174) This invention relates to'certain new and useful improvements in a manually manipulable airtrapping, compressing and expelling device or instrument, and has more particular reference to a device which is expressly adapted to produce intermittently projected air streams or jets, ranging from light puifs to vigorous rapid blasts, in order that same may be aimed and directed into the users mouth in a predetermined manner, whereby the user may then manipulate the mouth to produce either original or known tunes.

It is a matter of common knowledge that using the oral cavity as a resonance chamber for the production of audible and tuneful sounds is not broadly new. In fact, it is possible for one to cup the hands and to clap the thus cupped hands together to make a makeshift pump" and to thus forcibly project air jets or streams through an opening in the hands into the oral cavity. By keeping the back of the throat substantially closed and changing the shape of the oral cavity, in conjunction with the lips, tuneful airs may thus be caused to issue from the stated oral cavity.

The cardinal purpose of the instant invention is to provide a mechanical device which is controlled by the skillful use of the user hands so that the units or parts of said device may be dexterously handled to trap, compress and expel the desired airstreams and to do so according to rhythmic patterns in which the timed and rhythmical movements of the hands are the chief sources of control.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and expedient assemblage of coacting units or parts wherein pivoted, handle-equipped levers serve to impart the desired coacting movements to the parts, enabling the user to beat out the desired rhythm patterns and to change and set the tempos according to discretion and urge.

Briefly summarized, the invention is in the direct compressed air streams of rated intensity and timed values into the stated open mouth.

Using an appropriate air-trapping and compressing member, which takes the form of a cover or lid, and opposing same to the air chamber which is provided in the cushioned body, and making the cover member of a size and shape so that its marginal edge portions may be moved forcibly, but substantially inaudibly, into air-trapping and compressing contact with the cushion, the desired controlled pumping action is attained and the 'air jets thus developed are projected into the oral cavity, whereby to thus make it possible to combine a hand-operated, air compressing and projecting device and the users oral cavity in playing tunes in an unusual, humorous, but nevertheless skillfully controlled manner.

More specifically stated, the invention has to do with an appropriate base which is adapted to rest against the chest of the user, said base being provided at its end portions with hand grips to rest against the butt portions of the palms of the hands, the standard being marginally bordered with especially constructed cushioning means, and the cushioning means defining air chambers on opposite sides of the standard. By attaching levers to the body or standard, equip-' ping the levers with hand grips and attaching the cup-like cover members to the upper or free ends of the levers, the latter and cover members may be skillfully manipulated to form the air-trapping, compressing and pumping results referred to.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing its manner of use,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of an instrument embodying the features of this invention,

Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an edge view of Figure 3, v

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Figure 3'.

Referring to the drawings in detail my improved instrument designated generally l0 comprises a base formed with a pair of end bars H the outer ends of which are joined by grips l2. Rising from the end bars I I midway between the hand grips I2 is a standard or'equivalent body I3, the upper end of which is provided'with a head It which is substantially egg shaped in plan of the device and provided near its upperreduced endwith'a recess IS the purpose of which will be more fully hereinafter explained. Formed in the standard near its lower end and substantially midway between its side edges is a longitudinal slot I6, and extending transversely through said slot it a pivot pin H the purpose of which will be more fully hereinafter explained.

Mounted on the head IQ of the standard 13 is a cushion, generally designated at [8, which embodies a'a main body portion 19 formed of any suitable "cushioning material, preferably sponge rubber, and covered on its exterior with a suitable covering 20' of a soft pliable texture, such as, for example, soft leather. The cushion 19 together with the head I4 forms air chambers 22, each of which has a suitable marginal :air discharge passage 23. These passages are arranged .to open upwardly and outwardly from a point near the upper end of the head l4 and in alignment with the recess l5 formed therein.

.Pivotally supported on-the pivot pin II previously referred to are crossing .levers .24 carrying at their upper ends cup shaped or concave-convex -cover members which are of a size and shape completely to cover the air chambers 22. P-i-votally supported on the ends of the levers 24 opposite those carrying the cover-members or shells :25 are handles '26 which are disposed near the hand grips 12 so that a person holding the grips i2 onthe ,palms of .his hands may extend his tour lingers to engage the .handles 26 in order to exert ipull on the levers .24 and cause the cover :memberslfi to be impelled toward the cushion JB as the hands are contracted.

In use the-instrument seated in the palms of the hands with the :fingers extended through the handles 26 and the instrument held before the face with the passages 23 in alignment with the .oral :cavity. Upon manipulating the cover membersZirbysqueezing the handles -2B,-it will be obvious that said cover-members 25 will be forcibly advanced into contact with .coacting surfaces of the cushion 48. Such advance of same will cause air which may be trapped between them and the cushion to be expelled from the cavities or air chamber .22 in the cushion outwardly through the passages 23 and into the oral 'cavity of :the user. The air jets emerge from the pumping-device purely as such but become vibrators tone waves in the userfs .oral cavity, the lat ter acting, as previously stated, as an everchanging resonance chamber. The frequency or periodicity of vibrations .in the player's mouth is wholly dependent .on the timed air beats issuing from the discharge orifices 23. Applying the desired rhythmical movements to the :levers, the cover-members maybe moved coincidentally with the levers. That isto say, the lidding-of the air chambers may be such that the covers are alternately qpened and closed .or are simultaneously opened and closed, either ifast or :slow. Then, too, it is possible *for the performer to set the desired tempo, establish time values and employ wanted rhythm patterns.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention' it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and (arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as :claimed.

:I claim as my invention is:

1,. zairtra'pping, compressing and air-exilevice for rhythmically projecting and directing :air into :a users :open mouth,

4 comprising, in combination, a relatively thin body of substantial area having an air-tight cushion mounted on and substantially encompassing the marginal edge portion of the body and combining with the latter in defining an air chamber on at least one side of said body, said cushion having a restricted passage leading from said air chamber for discharging and directing compressed air streams into the stated mouth, and an air-trapping, compressing and air-expel- "lingcover-member complementalwith and opposable to said air chamber, said cover-member being of such size and shape as to completely close .the chamber except for said passage upon broadside contact with the cushion, whereby said cover member may be moved forcibly, but substantially inaudibly into air-trapping and compressing contact with said cushion, to cause said cover-member to'lidzover and forcibly expel trapped air from said chamber through said discharge passage.

2. An airetrapping, compressing and air-expellingdev'ice .for rhythmically projecting .and direoting air streams into .a .users open mouth, comprising, in combination, a relatively thin bod-yof substantial .areahaving an air-tight cushion .mounted .on and substantially encompassing the marginal edge ,portionof the body and combining with theilatter in defining an air chamber on .at 'least .one side of said body, said cushion having .arestricted passageleading from said air chamber .for discharging and directing compressed air streams .into the stated mouth, and a .concavoeconvex cover-member having its concaved side opposable inapproximate parallelism to said air chamber, said -.cover-member being of such size and shape .as to completely close the chamber except .for said ,passage .upon broadside contact with the cushion, whereby said cover member.may bemoved \forcibly, but'substantially inaudibly into air-trapping and=compressingcontact withsaidcushion, to cause .saidcover-member tollid overand forcibly expel trapped air from said chamber through said discharge passage.

3. The structure specified in claim 2, together with a leverpivotally mounted onsaid body out side of the cushioned enclosure and provided at one end with .handle means, the opposite end of said lever being connected to said cover-member for mechanically swinging same in an arcuate path toward and from said cushion.

4. An-air-trapping, compressing and air stream ex elling device for rhythmically controlling and directing air streams into a users open mouth comprising, in combination, a relatively stationary .imperforate "substantially flat body member, air retentive and cushioning means mounted on and substantially encasing the marginal edge portions .of the body member and combining therewith in defining .air chambers on opposite sides of said body member, a concavo-convex shell .memberhaving its concave side facing-and lidding over one of said air chambers with its marginal edge portion .removably resting against a ooacti-ng portion of the cushion, a second concave-convex shellmember having its concave side facing and liddingover :the remaining air chamber and having its marginal .edge portions in removable closing contact with the enacting portion 'of said cushion, said cushion having restricted air discharge passages leading from the respective (air chambers, .a pair of levers individ-' ually pivoted on said body at either side thereof and provided atone of the :ends with handle means, the npposite endsof said levers being connected with their respective shell "members,

whereby said levers operate the latter to move them to and from contact with the cushions in a manner to trap and compress air into said air chambers and to forcibly expel it from said chambers.

5. The structure specified in claim 4, together with a base adapted to rest against the chest of the user, said body member being attached to and rising vertically from said base, and said base being provided at end portions with handgrips, said handle means being in close proximity to said hand-grips.

6. A musical amusement device of the class shown and described comprising a base, a hand grip at opposite end portions of said base, a substantially flat standard attached to and rising from said base between the hand grips, a cushion marginally encompassing and enclosing the upper end portion of said standard, said cushion and standard forming an air chamber on each side of said standard, said cushion having an air 6 discharge passage communicating with each chamber, a cupped shell member on each side of the standard of a size to completely cover the air chamber on its respective side, and a handle attached to each member and pivoted to the standard by which a user by manipulating said handles may cause the members to forcibly strike the cushion, whereby air trapped between the members and cushioned standard will be expelled through said passages.

SAMUEL V. LIPPMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,455,900 Cheek May 22, 1923 1,526,030 Ward Feb. 10, 1925 

